Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Gang members were left with an array of injuries after fighting with swords, machetes, axes, hammers and even cars during the clash in Wallsend, North Tyneside.

One of those involved, 23-year-old Mark Amis, is only alive today thanks to surgeons who saved his life after a stab wound narrowly missed his vital organs.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Paul Sloan yesterday jailed the gang-members, connected to arch-enemies Dean Elliott and Dale Fuller, for a total of 30 years.

Tensions had been rising between Blackpool-based Elliott's crew from North Shields’ Meadow Well estate and Fuller's Howdon, Wallsend, gang for some time.

The feud escalated when Elliott’s friend Paul Borg was gunned down outside his home in August 2010.

Borg, 26, agreed to give evidence against those behind the shooting - forcing them to plead guilty at the start of their trial in April last year.

Fuller went on Facebook and labelled him ‘a grass’.

His online taunts enraged Elliott and over the coming days, egged on by Borg’s then girlfriend Lucy Owen, the 22-year-old began planning retribution.

Dean Elliott, 22, right, from Blackpool, who was the main instigator of the fight and friend of shot Paul Borg, jailed for 32 months. His arch-rival, Wallsend gang leader Dale Fuller, 24, left, was jailed for 31 months

In text conversations with Owen and others, Elliott talked of two hit-lists - the ‘haircut list’ made-up of people he wanted to hurt and the ‘deep-sleep list’.

In one message he said: 'I’m going to put him to sleep,' and in another he wrote: 'I’m ready to melt his face with acid.'

In the days leading up to the fight, Elliott recruited gang members, some with a known history of violence.

For her part, Owen, 21, not only found out which pubs Fuller and his friends might be at that Saturday, she also agreed to be Elliott’s alibi.

In the days leading up to the battle, she texted him saying 'Get Dale telt. Hope he dies.'

In another message she said: 'You know how to do it. I will say I was with you at all times.'

He said: 'The sentences issued by the court show clearly that this type of violent behaviour will not be tolerated and will attract a prison sentence.

'Fortunately these events happen very rarely, but violent disorder on this scale - when a man was stabbed - could easily have led to a fatality.

'These criminals may have thought that there was safety in numbers and that they would not be caught, but they were wrong.

'The fight took place in a residential street where law-abiding people were shocked and frightened.

'People who think about this kind of violence should know we are determined to stamp out violent behaviour and we will use all our resources to bring criminals to justice.':Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.